Synima

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the marketing manager at Adder Technology. My role is primarily focused on campaigns and communications and looking at how we build and implement all of our campaigns. A large part of that is the content that we generate and the content that we use.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Shoot You Video & Animation Production?

We identified the need for some new video content in order to explain more about our products. We manufacture products that are known in the market as IP KVM products, which stands for keyboard, video, mouse, and we facilitate the connection between a user and the computer they are using. 

That could be any distance. One really good example is that you might have a computer that is in a hazardous location such as a wind turbine, and you have people that are sat in a control ring who are trying to control that PC. 

It is a very technical product and we needed to create some engaging video content that was going to target our end-users in order to explain what our products do, and in particular a new product that we were launching. 

The plan was to branch out from it just being product animations into industry-focused animations, talking about how our products are used in certain industries. The brief was explainer animations, but we wanted to do something a bit different. 

We didn’t just want to do typical text on screen, and we wanted to bring it to life a bit more. We wanted to do something that was a little bit different but it equally needed to remain in line with our brand identity, brand colors, and style.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We drafted the script just because of the nature of the technicality of our products. Shoot You was involved all the way through. They made suggestions and told us where we needed to cut things back. It was quite a collaborative process even though we wrote the bulk of the script. 

The team took the script and storyboarded it. There were a couple of elements that we said we wanted to have, but they went ahead and brought that to life and fully storyboarded every animation we did with them. 

We’ve done 3–4 animations with them. We worked with them consistently on different projects. Some were industry-focused, some were product-focused, and some were services-focused. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with a few different teammates within Shoot You. I had initial conversations with Quint (MD/Sales and Marketing Director). I then worked with Charlotte (Head of Production) on the first set of animations and Becky (Producer) on the second set. There was also the whole creative team behind them.

How did you come to work with Shoot You Video & Animation Production?

My director had worked with them previously. I was looking for an animation agency and I wanted someone who was easy to communicate with and who was within the UK. I wanted someone who wasn’t just going to take our brief and do exactly what we said but would challenge our ideas and come up with better ones. 

Our director said we should definitely give Shoot You a call, so we did. I knew they were the right agency to go with right after meeting them for the first time because of the ideas they came up with. From then on, the process was easy. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I initially started working with Shoot You in November 2018, and we wrapped up an animation to push our professional services department in January 2020. We plan to work with them again. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The biggest success metric was that the animation was a winner at the Brand Film Festival alongside brands such as HSBC and Doc Martens — some of the biggest brands in the world. To have a relatively small UK-based tech company to come alongside the brands we did was pretty incredible. 

To me, that was a success metric in itself despite all the other success metrics that we have seen. We used Shoot You throughout multiple campaigns, at events, and on our Vimeo platform. They always delivered success in terms of viewers and conversions, among other things. 

They continued to deliver for us since we went live with them. We have seen real success since using the professional services animation. We have actually broken it up into four animations, and we use it for our social channels, online presence, and events. It’s a key piece of content for us.

How did Shoot You Video & Animation Production perform from a project management standpoint?

The team at Shoot You is really easy to get a hold of, and they are all really responsive. My inbox gets pretty busy and backed up, so for me, the fact that they are happy to just drop me a WhatsApp message letting me know they need feedback on something makes things much easier. 

With Charlotte, in particular, I could ping her ideas on WhatsApp and she would be really quick to respond. From a project management point of view, they were phenomenal — one of the best agencies I have worked with.

Quint was incredibly approachable. He came up with really good ideas and was extremely involved in the process. They were able to do everything under one roof which made it so much easier, rather than outsourcing different parts. 

They were the easiest agency that I have ever worked with by far. I’ve worked with a lot of agencies in my time, not necessarily video agencies, but PR agencies, media agencies, and others, and the speed with which Shoot You replied and responded was exceptional.

The team was also flexible in terms of their deliverables and their great ideas, so as soon as we have a need for more animation content, they will be the ones that we go to.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Charlotte created the initial look and feel of Adder’s new animation portfolio as part of the first series of animations that we did. When we went back to Shoot You a while later, looking to create another series of animations for a different side of the business, we worked with Becky and a different team of creatives.

They were great at taking the style that Charlotte had created in order to keep some consistency with our animation portfolio. That stood out to me and it worked extremely well and made everything a whole lot easier when it came to creating a new set of animations.

Shoot You was also very professional. They even sat down with senior management within Adder who are sometimes very technical and can be quite difficult to break down. The team was quite happy to sit with them and learn about the business. I can't speak highly enough of the team at Shoot You.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions. They just need to carry on doing what they are doing because it is great. There were no downsides or flaws or anything like that. At the beginning of the process, they gave us a timeline breakdown and they hit all the deliverables and timelines.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend them. Make sure you are very clear with your brief. Give Shoot You a very clear identification of what it is you are looking for and what you want to get out of the video at the end of it. 

The biggest bit of advice is to let them do what they do. They are very good and very capable. There is a fine line between giving them a clear brief and letting them be creative and come up with ideas. 

Whilst we did give them a brief, we let them come up with their own creative ideas. In the end, what they came up with was something we probably never would have thought of, so I am really glad we let them just do their work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a WW marketing communications manager for HPE StorEver. We are part of the HP enterprise—we sell tape automation and solutions to customers to help backup data and archive it long-term. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Shoot You Video & Animation Production?

We needed to find ways to make backup and archiving interesting for our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They have created a wide range of videos to help put a sparkle in our story, and present what we want to say in a way that connects to our customers and attracts them.

For example, they made some videos to explain our core value proposition and show what differentiates us from our competitors. They used animation mixed with live filming to show the extensive QA testing process we use and why it’s important.

Another video showed the durability of HPE RDX removable disk cartridges. They hooked the product to the back of a drag racecar by a cable, and dragged it around the track. The video showed real-time footage of the product before and after.

They recently created an animated video to celebrate the shipment of HPE’s one hundred millionth LTO data cartridge. They also made nother video that highlighted the threat posed by ransomware. We typically present the challenge for the videos and brainstorm together. They come up with creative ideas to bring those challenges to life.

What is the team composition?

Matt (MD/Director) is my main point of contact. He brings in a team for each project ranging anywhere from 6 to 15 people.

How did you come to work with Shoot You Video & Animation Production?

They were selected based on research using trade directories to evaluate different suppliers.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $500,000 total. Each project is $30,000 - $40,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Well, the fact that we have worked together for so long speaks for itself. They keep up with the latest advances in video-making technology, and they really know their stuff. They’re also very creative, able to come up with ideas and execute them very well. The last two projects we worked on with them received awards for digital advertising and animation.

How did Shoot You Video & Animation Production perform from a project management standpoint?

Matt is a good account manager; he always keeps me appraised of any changes or progress. They deliver what they promise in a timely manner. When possible, we meet in person, but it often happens via teleconferences, using mediums such as Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are a great team to work with, creating a positive atmosphere around the projects. We really have a partnership and work closely together, which I like. I don’t feel like a client far removed, watching them do the project. I trust them as if they’re part of our organization, and know they are working to meet our objectives successfully. That is of utmost importance to me. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. I tell any agency I work with that they can always reach for more and better with each project, and they do that.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and honest. Listen to them and give them the opportunity to be creative and think beyond your own pre-conceived ideas. Be willing to go down paths you’ve not necessarily thought of yourself; then they can do so much more!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the commercial manager of BBC Studioworks, which is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC. We work with not only public service but also commercial and media entities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Shoot You Video & Animation Production?

We struggled to keep up with the volume of our work with our internal resources. We had individual, freelance talent work on these projects but found that it was difficult to phase up and phase down those resources over the projects' timeframes. We started to work with Shoot You Video because they had access to talent and could dedicate those resources over multiple projects and time periods.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve partnered with Shoot You Video on a number of projects over the last five years. They’ve created internal showreels and external content, supporting projects on the creative and technical sides. Their team has created live action and animated videos. Their team brings in extra creative resources as needed to deliver against the deadline.

Their team has mainly worked on projects for our client, the European Commission. Typically, we receive a brief from our client that we discuss with Shoot You Video's creatives to come up with three or more creative ideas. We work with them to create a pitch that we then present to the client.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Charlotte (Head of Production), Matt (Director), and Quint (Sales & Marketing Director). Matt’s a trusted pair of hands. He’s organized and fills us with confidence that the project will be delivered. Quint has an artistic flair. We’ve worked with Charlotte since the beginning of our partnership. We’ve found her incredible from day one. We’ve also worked with Steve (Senior Producer) who often manages the projects now.

How did you come to work with Shoot You Video & Animation Production?

We reached out to a number of local audiovisual companies and freelancers. We went through an interview process and reviewed their completed projects. We started our relationship with Shoot You Video with a commitment to one project. We then rapidly scaled with them due to the quality of their ideas and turnaround speed.  

How much have you invested with them?

We typically spend around €500,000 (approximately $564,350 USD) a year, but it depends on the projects. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around June 2015 and have an ongoing partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We successfully secured business with them. Their team comes up with out of the box ideas. They read between the lines our clients write, which is good.

While the client will see as a run-of-the-mill piece to camera, You Shoot adds their skill and turns the brief into an engaging video. Their team often guides the client to a project that better fits their needs compared to the initial brief. We’ve had great feedback from clients. 

They can quickly tweak and adapt as projects inevitably change. Their team's able to work flexibly, which allows them to work in budget-friendly ways. They're great at working with tight budgets and manage to do a lot.

They’re built for the modern world, keeping on the pulse of communication trends. Their team can become experts in the new hot methods quickly.

How did Shoot You Video & Animation Production perform from a project management standpoint?

We don’t work in the same office, but they’re down the road from us. Their remote communication’s cohesive even though their team is often scattered to the wind on various locations. We chat regularly and have updates when we sit down and go through any project.

They’re organized and personable. Their team’s proactive in their communications of any challenges or wins. If there are issues with a budget or timeframe, they’re upfront about it. They come to us with a solution rather than just a problem.

They’re incredibly efficient and adaptable. When COVID-19 hit, they turned on a dime. Their team changed a lot of the creative briefs that involved travel or face-to-face interviews. They went back to the drawing board and pivoted into another arena quickly.

The sign-off procedures can be torturous because our clients are often multi-layered. Shoot You Video manages sign-off well and educates clients about the production process. They're flexible but also tell our clients when it's impossible to make significant changes.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

I can’t say enough about them. They’re a lovely group of people with great attitudes who look after their clients. They're incredibly fair-minded. Their team doesn’t push problems on people; they’re solution finders. They’re collaborative, trustworthy, and innovative.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They have locations in Europe and the US, which is another massive growth potential for them. I hope they continue to grow. Although, I hope they’ll always work with us because we like working with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a close relationship with them to ensure their team understands the requirements well. Be upfront about how you need the relationship to work. They’re receptive to any changes.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior creative at a full-service marketing agency. We’ve been around for about 25 years, and most of our work is in the pharmaceutical agency, though we’ll work in any sector. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Shoot You Video & Animation Production?

We engage Shoot You to create animated videos for several of our clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Typically, we approach them with a storyboard in mind, and give it Shoot You to flesh out or advise on in terms of practicalities and costs. However, in the past, we’ve also briefed them on certain projects and asked them to come up with the style and content. It depends on what the schedule and project requires.

From there, they’ll do all the animation and voiceover work. Most of the time, we’ll provide them with flat assets — like a photo, clip, or icon, and let them do their work.

What is the team composition?

We typically work with one standard producer, and three or four animators depending on the project. The number might change depending on what we need.

How did you come to work with Shoot You Video & Animation Production?

We found some of their work online, and we were intrigued by the fact that they’re local to us. They also had experience creating videos for the pharmaceutical industry, so we felt they would be able to achieve what we wanted and step up the quality of the animation we’d done in previous campaigns.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between £100,000–£200,000 (approximately $126,000–$252,000 USD) so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We’ve gotten fantastic feedback on their work. We have clients who say they won’t work with anyone else, which can partially be attributed to the quality of the animation Shoot You provides. It’s definitely a step up from what we’ve produced in the past.

How did Shoot You Video & Animation Production perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is very friendly — we have a great relationship with them. They’ll bring people into our office, or we’ll visit theirs, and we’ve had great experiences with everyone we’ve interacted with. They’re very communicative and flexible, and they work hard to meet our deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Shoot You is great at taking a brief and running with it. Overall, the team is capable, friendly, and professional. We’re quite happy with our relationship with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing we could ask them that we wouldn’t be confident they can do. They’re a talented team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Shoot You is really good at taking what you produce and adding in their extra piece of expertise. As a creative agency ourselves, that works really well for us. If the team receives guidance and direction at the beginning, they’ll be great at taking that information and going forward with it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of communications and marketing of Nacoa UK

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Charity supporting children affected by a parent's drinking.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Shoot You to accomplish?

• Support people affected
• Raise awareness of the issues they face
• Encourage research and parliamentary attention

SOLUTION

How did you find Shoot You?

Referral

Why did you select Shoot You over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Shoot You were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Shoot You were commissioned by Nacoa to make animated stings - intros and outros - for online video content. Six variations were delivered of animated logo and tag lines.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Strong online media engagement with key video content. Videos hitting 100k views incorporating transitions containing ctas and brand definition

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

From online meeting to delivery of first drafts, took only a couple of weeks. Well ahead of deadline. Following notes, a week after the compositions were complete.

What was your primary form of communication with Shoot You?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

A perfect fit in terms of shared priorities. They provided realistic deliverables in the short term, with attainable and ambitious targets in the long term. For our work, you need people to know what they are talking about too.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Shoot You could have done differently?

No, can't think of anything to be honest. Sorry.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Managing Partner of a financial advisory practice; We are focusing on fundraising, capital advisory, for entrepreneurs, large startups and family offices

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Shoot You, and what were your goals?

The fundraising process we conduct for our clients require to provide a clear an holistic view of their business; And sometimes this can’t only be captured in a simple PowerPoint presentation; We needed to put together appealing institutional films to convey this message in short period of time.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We discovered Quint and Shootyou on Clubhouse at that time we were just out of the lockdown and I found them very professional ; So the idea was to have them create an institutional video for our company, that would be used as a sample to demonstrate the effectiveness of this tool to our clients

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

At that time we just came out of lockdown so we had to condensate all on one day; However prior to our meeting we submitted the Shootyou team our logo and some of the graphics we wanted to use; We also worked back and forth on a script that would address the purpose of the video We went at their studio, which was quite well prepared for the occasion They had the script all installed on a prompter and we made couple of rehearsals before effectively shooting the video in various sequences. They made some of the compilation while we were there in terms of the effects, background, etc. And delivered the video couple of days later.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

I worked with Quint himself and it’s whole team, they were quite efficient, professional, friendly and very good

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

This video has been well appreciated by some of our clients and we initiated their owns

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

All good, in terms of communication, organisation and respect of deadlines

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They were agile and very reactive in project management. Quit is always available

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

They should keep going and maintaining the same level of service and quality to their customers

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a provider of children's services in the UK, working with children and young adults

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Shoot You, and what were your goals?

We wanted to explain in an easy and visual way the difficulties people are facing these days and highlight the issues and problems around mental health and the growing concern that it is more common

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

ShootYou are very approachable and understood the brief from the start, and were not scared to explain changes required.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

All the way through the process the team at ShootYou guided us in the right direction, we only had a concept in our heads that we wanted to get out into film and animation. ShootYou story boarded everything and took control on the directing and script for each video, after each version was completed, a full review was done to highlight any changes required.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

We worked with the London Team who were great to work with, and constantly on hand to help.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Due to the nature of the project, this data is not publicly available

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, everything was initial via email phone calls and teams, which was perfect as we could visualise and share content with each other constantly. This was all overseen by the London team, who always replied to any query (either big or small)

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

We like their design capabilities and speed of turnaround when we were asking for very small changes.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

There is nothing I can think of they could of done differently, especially as they were working during COVID and learning (the same as us) how to move forwards with a complete online sevice.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a psychotherapist

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Shoot You, and what were your goals?

We were collaborating on a series of mental health well-being video animations such as Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Trauma, and Alcohol

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Shoot You was the most creative and innovative company in the field

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

The process began with my writing the script. Shoot You handled finding the animator in each case, storyboarding it, coming back to me with the uncoloured basic format, and after my approval producing the finished piece with music soundtrack, foley soundtrack and colour.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

I worked with Quint - extremely easy to work with and an incredibly imaginative and helpful presence.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

These short animations have received a lot of attention on YouTube, TicToc and other platforms , and I use them in my work with clients every day.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

All perfectly efficient and friendly

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The arc from script to finished product Mae my idea come to life in a way very difficult to imagine before Shoot You did their magic

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Not aware of anything